A Biblical Vision, Part II: Mastering the New Testament Witness to Christ

Ses s i on 7: The Reve l at i on of John: The Consummat i on of Al l Th i ngs i n Chr i s t 215

g. The end of apostasy and idolatry (Dan. 2.31-45)

h. God’s judgment and retribution upon the nations in their rebellion against the Most High God (Dan. 2.37; Luke 21.24)

i. The Second Coming ( parousia , return) of Jesus (Jude 14-15)

C. History of interpretation of the book

1. The Preterist View . All of the visions of Revelation arise from the conditions in the Roman empire of the 1st century A.D., and all of the symbolic imagery of the book was drafted to condemn the evil of the then oppressive Roman empire. ( In general, most liberal NT scholars hold to this view ). 2. The Historicist View . The book of Revelation sets forth in a single grand vision the entirety of human history from the 1st century to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The book is a tale of the “continuous story” of the whole period. ( Many of the Reformers held this view, aligning the vision of the beast with the papacy in Rome ). 3. The Futurist View . From chapter 4 onward Revelation deals with events of the end-time. The book’s theme is focused less on the author’s own time, or the works of history as they have unfolded, but on the events sur rounding the coming of the Lord. ( Many conservative commentators hold this view strictly and exclusively ).

4. The Idealist View . Revelation’s main aim is to inspire persecuted, suffering believers to endure to the end. The images of the book are merely the creative expressions of symbolic language to help us picture the final triumph of